From the Corner Store
by Trinity Everett
Summary: Rick Castle stumbles - literally - upon a new friend during a late night run for pizza rolls. A Caskett AU


_I actually started this about 6 months ago, then time got away from me and I never finished it. So I decided to fix it up and tweak it for CastleThemeDay last week, but I wasn't able to get it done in time. I think it works perfectly to finish it today, though._

 _Based on the prompt: i got up at 2 am to get some snacks at the convenience store down the street and opened my door to find you trying to sleep on the floor of the hallway because your roommate has his fiancée over so i guess i'll lend you my couch for the night AU - from castlefanficprompts ._

 **From the Corner Store**

 **A Caskett AU**

* * *

After almost a week of near-solitude, his days and his nights were all messed up.

He had a schedule, of course, but Alexis was with his mother for an extended Gram-granddaughter Christmas shopping trip (how a six year old could possibly stand shopping every day for a week, he had no idea), and her absence combined with their empty apartment made it difficult for him to stick to it. He did his best to be productive during daylight hours, but more often than not, he spent the days he wasn't on shift at the diner playing on his Sega and brainstorming new and unusual foods to make to gross Alexis out when she got home.

Of course, even on the nights he wasn't working, he didn't start writing until almost ten. Once he got into the zone, the sprints he set out for himself turned into marathons, and all concept of time was lost. He wouldn't look up from his work until his eyes burned with fatigue, and he would close the laptop and stumble into bed with enough time to sleep before he had to serve people food.

He felt like he'd been better so far today. He hadn't slept until noon after pulling the late shift, hadn't bummed around in his underwear for nearly as long, either, and it wasn't fatigue that pulled his eyes away from the screen at 2am, it was the screaming in his stomach.

He'd eaten dinner before going to buy the rest of his daughter's Christmas presents, but that hadn't been enough apparently, because his body was craving a snack.

Too bad he was fresh out of those. Alexis had banned him from eating her cookie creations, so he'd made a point to eat everything else. He'd eaten all the popcorn, all the leftover chocolate from Alexis's class party, even the candy canes he'd snagged from the bowl by the cash register at work had been obliterated by his sweet tooth. He was snackless.

Then again, the convenience store down the block was open twenty-four hours. He typically avoided it after about 1am, because he lived in a city and he knew how to be careful, but he _could_ make an exception tonight.

Tonight he was starving and they had pizza rolls. The decision was made.

Without bothering to get dressed – the flannel pajama pants and a zip up hoodie would be a little chilly, but he'd just walk faster – Rick shoved his wallet, his keys, and his phone into the pockets and slipped his feet into the slippers he pretended were real shoes more often than not. It would be a quick run and back, no reason to close his laptop.

Stepping out into the hall was always an adventure. The building wasn't in the best shape – back in its heyday it probably had been better maintained – but it was the people that really made their place interesting. He'd lived there for years, since before Alexis came along, and though it was small and a revolving door for college kids at times, it had been fun. Loud a lot of the time, but fun for the most part.

Fun or not, though, if he could get this book done and accepted, they would move. Maybe even out of Brooklyn if he hit it big.

Of course, he would miss having the store on the corner to help him with the nights he forgot dinner and wasn't bringing home leftovers from work, but there would be other stores on other corners. Maybe he wouldn't even have to work at all, and instead he could focus on writing and being a more attentive parent to his child. No more late night shifts at the diner, dragging himself in just in time to send the babysitter home, prepare food for Alexis, and send her off to school. No more saving for months just to be able to afford the presents she deserved for being – undoubtedly – the greatest kid in the world.

But alas, that wasn't happening yet. So instead of dwelling, he was going to get his pizza rolls and come back to finish his chapter before calling it a night.

His plans didn't involve tripping over a girl on his way back into the building and nearly spilling the groceries he'd picked up. Including the bottle of iced coffee he'd grabbed on a whim.

Said girl – woman – jolted, kicking out at him without even looking his way.

"Ow!"

"What the hell are you doing?"

Rick blinked. "What the hell am I doing? You're the one sleeping in the middle of the walkway. What the hell are you doing? You know that's the entrance to the whole building, right?"

"Yes," she snapped, scrubbing at her face, smearing the remnants of the day's eye makeup. "I'm very aware. But as you can see, my roommate has locked me out for the evening while his fiancée is here."

"I – oh, yeah, I see the… incredibly festive Christmas sock. Yours or his?"

His new acquaintance scowled, tugging her knees to her chest. "His, smartass. I have good taste in socks."

He smirked. "Well that remains to be seen. What are you wearing?"

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"On your feet." His eyes made an involuntary sweep of her legs and up her torso. "I think I need proof of this good taste in socks, though."

The woman muttered in disgust. "Look, I'm sorry I tripped you. But the good news is your… pizza rolls survived the ordeal. So, goodnight."

Rick winced. "I'm sorry, that came out all wrong."

"Uh huh. Generally 'what are you wearing' is a terrible pickup line, just FYI."

That was fair. "Yeah, that was out of line, I'm sorry. But um, if you want to come rest somewhere other than a cold floor in December, my couch upstairs is free."

Oh, that was a look. Suspicious didn't even begin to describe it.

"Look, I'm Rick. I'm in 2D. I live there with my daughter, the adorable redhead? She's six; she's the one who put the Christmas cookies on everyone's door a couple weeks ago."

Her face softened at that. "That was her?"

"Uh huh."

"Those were really good cookies," she murmured, looking up after the fact, almost like he wasn't supposed to have heard it.

Rick beamed. "My recipe, but Alexis made them. She'll be so excited to hear you liked them."

The woman actually cracked a smile. "So are you a chef or something? Since it was your 'recipe.'"

"Ah, no. I just like to experiment with food. I do work at a diner a few blocks from here, but I'm a writer - aspiring writer. The diner just pays the bills for now."

She nodded slowly, seeming to size him up. "I'm a cop."

His eyes widened. " _Really?_ That is so cool."

"That was supposed to be a hint not to try any funny business," she said, pulling her legs up to smooth her slacks over her knees. "Because I have a gun and extensive physical training."

Rick's head bobbed on its own accord. "Of that I have no doubt. But no, no funny business here. Just a neighbor trying to be nice in the middle of the night. No strings, no pickup lines."

She nodded, seemingly gauging his sincerity. He hefted the groceries higher, freeing a hand and offering it to her.

"Rick Castle, nice to meet you."

Her fingers slipped into his, grip firm as she used him for leverage and hauled herself to her feet.

"Kate Beckett, nice ish to meet you."

He beamed, squeezing her hand once more before releasing her fingers. She had a good handshake; he liked that in a person.

Really, he already liked her. She was quick – even at 2:30 in the morning – she was gorgeous, and she was intriguing.

Plus, who knew they had a cop living in their building?

"Are you gonna stare at me all night, or are you gonna let me come crash on your couch?"

He chuckled, feeling his cheeks heat up. "Come on, it's easier to go up the back stairs. Hence why I tripped on you."

"Ah," she hummed, digging her phone out of her pocket and casting a glance at her front door before following him.

He held his tongue until they were on the stairs. "That was smart."

"What was smart?"

"Sending your roommate the text to let him know where you are."

She stiffened and he hastened to add, "In general, I mean. I'm not an axe murderer, I swear, but those are good skills."

"Cop," she reminded, fixing him with a look. The reminder not to fuck with her went unspoken.

"No, I know. I know. But most people wouldn't think to do that. Hell, I wouldn't do that. It's smart."

"Uh huh." This time he saw a little smirk dart across her lips before she tamped it down. "So, Mr. Aspiring Writer, what genre are we talking here?"

"Oh, ah, mystery mostly. Murder mysteries, mostly – if you'll pardon the alliteration."

She laughed at that, a light tinkling, almost girlish, sound that echoed in the stairwell. He liked her laugh.

"Funny, you do what I do, sort of."

Rick glanced over his shoulder, brow furrowed in question.

"I'm a detective, or I will be come January 1st. Homicide," she added in explanation, pursing her lips to hide another smile.

Yeah, he liked this woman already.

"That is so hot. Oh hey, can I pick your brain before you go to sleep? I'm stuck on a plot point and it is probably the make or break for this chapter, and knowing what the real cops would do would be _great_."

At her hesitation, he added, "I can supply pizza rolls for a late night snack. And some really good coffee for in the morning."

"Well, if you're providing coffee," she quipped, coming to stand at his side as he fished his keys out of his hoodie pocket. "Nice wreath."

He grinned. "Yeah, I like to call it nerd festive. Alexis helped me find the right pictures to turn them into decals for the balls. And did you know hot glue is _really_ painful?"

Kate laughed. "I'd heard that. But thanks for reinforcing it."

Rick chuckled, gesturing for her to precede him into his apartment. She did, making a sweep of the room before her stance relaxed.

"You have… a lot of decorations."

He lifted a shoulder, closing and locking the door behind him before heading to the kitchen to settle his snacks on the counter. "I like Christmas. I ah, try to go all out for Alexis, give her something magical even if things are a little bit tight."

Kate smiled. "That's really sweet. So um… if you don't mind me asking… where is she? You didn't leave her asleep to make a pizza run, did you?"

"No, no. She's with my mother. She'll be back tomorrow - today, really – Christmas Eve."

"Ah," she hummed, leaning against the counter, watching him spread pizza rolls on a cookie sheet. "Looking forward to having her home?"

He grinned over his shoulder. "You have no idea. I can't wait. I have the next two days off and that kid will not know what hit her; I have so many games planned."

"Of course you do."

Lifting a shoulder, he turned back to his task. What could he say; he was a big kid at heart.

"So I think I have another condition for letting you pick my brain, in addition to the coffee," she added after a few minutes of gentle silence.

Rick grinned, wiping his hands on a paper towel. "Shoot."

Kate straightened, stretching her arms over her head. "Got any more of those cookies?"

He clapped, spinning to survey the counter. "Absolutely. Cookies and pizza rolls coming right up. Would you like some milk, too?"

She shook her head, shoulders trembling with silent laughter. "Water's just fine, thanks."

"Coming right up."

She was already gone when he stumbled in from his bedroom the next morning, the blanket and sheets she'd slept on folded neatly underneath the pillow he'd stolen from the other side of his own bed. As disappointed as he was not to have the opportunity to see her, he couldn't be too upset, given the note he found next to a mug of still-hot coffee.

 _Rick,_

 _Had to go into work early. Thanks for the couch, the cookies, and only being a psychopath in your book. Being sexiled was actually kind of fun this time. Definitely warmer._

 _And do_ not _think this is because your terrible pickup line worked, but after the holidays, would you maybe want to go out sometime?_

 _Merry Christmas,_

 _Kate in 1C._

He didn't hesitate to run downstairs in his sleep clothes to leave her another bundle of cookies and note to say yes.

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you all so much for always supporting me and my words. I wish I could give you more, but I hope this gift at least touches on my appreciation for each one of you. Happy Holidays!_


End file.
